“Jesus Is Better”: A Kenyan Student’s Insightful Reflection on Hebrews
October 10, 2025
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ,
While I enjoy teaching and mentoring very much it is not always fun and sometimes quite frustrating. Sometimes a teacher can wonder whether what he or she is teaching is getting through to the students at all. I have had some frustrating times recently but also some very encouraging times as well. I have been teaching our upper classmen a class entitled Hebrews & General Epistles. It is a good class and my students are great, so it is profitable to them and to me. When I finished the Hebrews portion of the class, I gave them an assignment to write a short essay on the purpose of Hebrews. The responses I received from my students were so good and so encouraging. They all did a great job on the assignment and so I wanted to pick one to reproduce for you. The following essay is titled Jesus is Better by Qephax Peter Ndiba, one of my third-year students. The grammar may not be perfect, but the content is excellent and shows me that they are learning. Enjoy.
The book of Hebrews powerfully explains how Jesus is better than all significant figures and systems found in the Old Testament. “Jesus is better” is a theme that is central and the foundation of the book. It is woven between the many warnings and the explanations to show that without Jesus there is no other option or comparison. The writer explains the insufficiency of the Old Covenant hence Jesus is better. This encouragement reminds us that while the old covenant was established by God, it was merely a shadow of the perfect reality that Christ reveals. This message resonates deeply with the Church even today, urging believers to stay grounded in Jesus, the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises.
Throughout the book, the author consistently refers to the Old Testament. Heb 1:1-4, the prophets were faithful messengers of God, but Jesus is the son, the exact representation of God’s essence and radiance. He doesn’t just convey a message, he embodies it. Heb 1:5 -2:9, He is better than angels. Angels played a crucial role in delivering God’s law, but Jesus is exalted above them, having inherited promises and a name that is far superior. Heb 3:1-6, He is better than Moses. While Moses was a faithful servant in God’s house, Christ is faithful as a Son over that house. His authority far exceeds that of Moses. In Heb 3:7-4:13, while Joshua led Israelites into the promised land, Jesus offers a better rest. An eternal rest in the presence of God. In Heb. 4:14-10:18 Jesus is better than the high priests for they were limited by sin and death but He is the perfect High Priest, sinless and eternal, who offers Himself once and for all. In Heb 8:1-13 we see Him as better than the promises. While the Old covenant was based on the law which couldn’t perfect people, the New Covenant, through Jesus’ blood, brings heart transformation and lasting reconciliation with God. Heb 9:11- 10:18 explains how He is better than the sacrifices which had to be slaughtered repeatedly over and over but Christ’s sacrifice was once and sufficient for all at all times. Lastly, Jesus is better than the tabernacle and the heavenly Jerusalem, 9:1-28, 12:22. The earthly tabernacle was just a shadow of the heavenly reality that awaits us which is now accessed through the blood of the lamb. It was situated at one location but Jesus gives us access to God from all places at all times.
Jesus stands out as better because He not only fulfills but also exceeds every part of the Old Covenant and systems. He is not just a continuation, He is the perfect and the best. The one who the law and the prophets were always pointing toward. His priesthood is eternal, His sacrifice was for once and remains to be for all. His covenant is rooted in grace and inner transformation instead of just following rules. His supremacy is beyond theology, it’s about relationship and transformation. He perfectly reveals God, serves as the ideal mediator between God and humanity, and is the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. In Him, we discover true rest, lasting forgiveness, and an unshakeable hope.
Today’s church needs to cling tightly to the truth that Jesus is better, better than traditions, better than worldly achievements, and better than any alternative the world throws our way. The call in Hebrews encourages us to persevere, to avoid drifting away, and to embrace the “better” rest that can only be found in Christ. This theme prompts the church to reflect on its priorities: Are we putting Jesus at the center of everything? Are we relying on His completed work instead of our own efforts?
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie, & Chloe
Contact Info:
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Teaching How to Study & Tackle Difficult Passages of Scripture
November 11, 2024
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ,
We are nearing the end of our first term of this academic year and things are progressing well, although we are tired and a little worn out. The Christmas season is just around the corner, and I am looking forward to it, although the Christmas season in Kenya is nothing like the Christmas season in the States.
I am teaching three classes this term – 1) General Principles of Interpretation, 2) The Pentateuch, and 3) Hebrews and General Epistles. I would like to focus this month on just the third one – Hebrews and General Epistles. This has been an excellent class so far and I have had good opportunities to have many great discussions and learning moments with my beloved students. If you have ever read through Hebrews and the General Epistles, and I know you have, I’m sure that you noticed there are a lot of difficult and challenging passages in these books. There have been lots of disputes about some of these passages over the last two thousand years and challenges about some of these passages have been presented from both unbelievers and those within Christianity. My students will soon be in churches preaching and teaching from these passages and they not only need to know what they are talking about and teaching, but they also need to know how to defend their teaching from possibly obstinate and even hostile opposition. I want to give them experience on studying and teaching these challenging passages and experience in facing “hostile” opposition. (In case you were wondering what kinds of challenging passages I have in mind, consider 1) How can Jesus be made perfect through suffering in Hebrews 2:10? 2) Is it possible to lose your salvation according to Hebrews 6:4-6? 3) Are people saved through faith or action and is James 2:14-25 in opposition to Paul’s teaching of faith alone? 4) Does the prayer of faith in James 5:13-15 always heal the sick and if the sick person is not healed does that mean someone is lacking faith? 5) Does baptism save us according to 1 Peter 3:21? 6) In what way has the Lord “bought” the false prophets of Peter 2:1? 7) Do believers reach a state of sinlessness according to 1 John 3:5-6 and 5:18? 8) Who are the angels who did not keep their positions of authority in Jude 6 and what exactly happened to them? 9) Why does Jude quote from Apocryphal books? And others). So, each student is going to get an opportunity to teach in class on one of these or other challenging passages and then field tough questions from the “hostile” and “opposing” members of the audience (meaning myself and the other students who are being tasked with being “obstinate opposers and schismatics”).
There is a definite purpose for this assignment. Not everyone that they will be speaking to in their churches, or in seminars, or even in people’s homes will agree with them. Some will oppose them vehemently, and my beloved students need to know how to deal with such situations and scenarios. Here is what I want them to learn. 1) I want them to learn how to deeply study the Scriptures and to be able to tackle and understand difficult and challenging passages. Not every passage of Scripture is easy to understand, and a good interpretation doesn’t always pop out at you when you first read it. Sometimes it takes a lot of work and sweat to understand a text. 2) I want them to be able to logically organize the defense of their position and to understand other people’s positions on those passages as well. 3) I want them to experience teaching through a passage that might make them feel a little uncomfortable. 4) I want them to experience opposition and hostility in a friendly environment and to learn how to lovingly and Biblically present and defend their position on the Word of God in a Christ-like way. Not every environment they encounter will be friendly and resistance can be hard to face. Better to learn how to face it amongst peers than amongst true enemies. 5) I want them to learn and then defend the truths of Scripture. 6) I want them to learn that they are not perfect followers of Christ, perfect Bible students, or perfect interpreters of Scripture. They could end up being wrong in their interpretation and presentation of their teaching and if they are wrong, I want them to learn to be open to the truth of Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, bless my beloved students and teach them the truths of Your Word and how to present and defend this truth to Your people and to the world.
Blessings to all,
Roger, Julie & Chloe
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Growth in the Last Year
April 10, 2024
Greetings to you all from me all the way over here in Kenya. As I do every year, I went back to read my letter from last year and was so excited to see that we are in a very different place this year! Last year, we were coming off more years than I want to count of severe stress, trauma, and struggle. We were learning how to lean hard into God’s grace and be okay with holding our joy in Christ in one hand while simultaneously holding struggle and grief in the other.
Though I won’t pretend we don’t still struggle (a lot) from day-to-day, the struggle has been different this year. God has given us a chance to take deeper breaths as the seasons of trauma seem fewer and farther between. Having said that, the seasons of trauma are still intense, and I often pray to see more spiritual and mental growth in our precious Chloe. When I take a step back, though, I see the tremendous growth that actually has occurred – not just in Chloe, but also in Roger and me. And I am so thankful.
Speaking of growth, there has also been a lot of physical growth in Chloe. She’s only nine years old, and she’s over five feet tall! That’s over six inches taller than the average girl her age! Her shoe size is even bigger than mine! LOL!
There have been other exciting changes for me personally this year. Last year I began teaching the elementary computer classes at RVA (Rift Valley Academy, for those who are unfamiliar). Over the course of the past 12 months, I’ve gone from teaching all the elementary computer classes…to actually rewriting the curriculum…to adding teaching 4th-6th grade Swahili to my job description…to actually writing a brand new children’s Swahili curriculum complete with books, activities, songs, interactive PowerPoint games, picture playing cards, and assessments! And having fun doing it! This is all while still doing the computer classes and getting my teaching certificate from Bob Jones University.
It hasn’t all been roses, however. God has had to really stretch me into these roles. I remember clearly the day I walked into my principal’s office in tears after my Swahili students had mostly failed a pretty big assessment using the original curriculum. I sat down and said, “Katy, I don’t think I’m the right person for this job.” She looked at me and said, in her wonderfully Scottish, straightforward manner, “You are exactly the right person for this job. Nobody else has the skills you bring to the table. You’ll figure it out.” That was it. There was no more discussion on the matter other than she was available to bounce ideas off of. Forty-eight hours later, an entirely new and mostly complete curriculum was in my head.
This has been a theme from God in my life this past year. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to Him with the heart cry of, “I’m not the right person for this job! I can’t do this!” And every time, He reminds me of two things. First, He reminds me that He chose me for this. Sure, there are probably reasons, but anything I bring to the table are things He built into me. I can’t take the credit for any of it – all the glory goes to Him. Second, he reminds me that His strength is made perfect in my weakness. I don’t have to pretend I have it all together. I don’t have to “fake-it-‘til-I-make-it,” I don’t have to give in to toxic positivity that totally ignores the entire book of the Psalms, of Lamentations, of Jeremiah…and so many others. Because it’s when I am most broken that I am most aware He must provide the strength for me to put one foot in front of the other. And when He does (which He always does) it’s so obviously Him, that I must praise Him!
Some quick prayer requests from my mother’s (and daughter’s) heart. 1. Pray for my parents. They are really struggling with their health. My older brother Jim and his wife were helping to care for them, but Jim suddenly lost his sight last summer. So, you can pray for him, too, please. 2. Pray for my adult children. Life isn’t always easy, but God is good. Pray that they will taste and see. 3. Pray for Chloe. The support worker who has been with her for two years suddenly quit (long story), and she has a new one who is learning the ropes. In some ways we’ve taken ten steps backward. Lynn leaving has left Chloe feeling like she’s trash – like she ruins everything. She often tells me how badly she feels about herself and that I should just throw her away. This absolutely breaks my heart. 4. Pray for a Western teacher for Chloe. I know that sounds terrible, but the educational system here simply isn’t great, and the mindset of educators is very harsh. I truly believe this would be a game changer for her.
Thank you for all your prayers and support! My love to you all!
Julie Tate
CONTACT INFO
Roger & Julie Tate
Moffat Bible College
P.O. Box 70
Kijabe, Kenya 00220
rojuta@gmail.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
